


Let's Pretend To Be Okay

by KVDO



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Addiction, Anxiety Disorder, Demisexuality, Depression, Eighth Year Dorms, Heavy Drinking, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self Medicating, Therapy, demi harry, loving mcgonagall, working thru trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29327115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KVDO/pseuds/KVDO
Summary: After being released from his holding cell in Azkaban, Draco doesn't know where to go. Hogwarts seems like a pretty good option though. He didn't realize there were so many strings attached, like group therapy for 8th years, and a shared house just for all of them. Which meant sharing a space with Harry Potter and several Gryffindors. This also meant everyone was privy to his new drinking habit.Harry doesn't know what to do with his life, he always wanted to be an auror, but thinking of having to fight one more dark wizard or witch has his throat seizing up and his stomach rolling in on itself. So for now Hogwarts seems like the best place for him, even if a certain blonde cunt is completely set on drawing as much attention as possible.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Kudos: 6





	Let's Pretend To Be Okay

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys swear to god if any of you care im gonna rewrite that other story i high key abandoned!!!! also you fucks have the legal right to break my knee caps if i abandon this shit.

Draco stumbled through the stone halls, his feet sliding on imaginary ice and his vision wobbling like a door jamb. He brought a hand up next to him and attempted to balance it on the rough stone, but it sorely missed its mark and he went down as it fell to his side. His head cracked against the wall, and he stayed there a moment, not processing the pain until about thirty seconds later. He glanced up and tried to focus on his shifting platinum hair, but he saw at least three different versions in his vision. He probably looked rather odd, leaning over with a bleeding forehead pressed against the wall. He burst into a round of giggles imagining what he looked like, and as he tried to right himself he over corrected and fell flat on his arse. He was fully laughing now, his long legs kicked out in front of him and his toned arms resting behind his back.  
“Mr. Malfoy? What are you doing out of bed at this hour?” McGonagall’s prim accent bounced around the hall and finally rested on Dracos rather disoriented brain.  
He tried his best to sober up, but the nearly full bottle of top shelf firewhiskey bubbled in his stomach and he failed at holding a straight face.  
“Oh! Profes- I mean uh… Headmistress! Fancy er, meeting you here?” He was trying so hard not to laugh, but her massive witches hat had this bloody awful peacock feather in it and Salazer did he hate peacocks. He accidentally let loose a snicker, and he could tell by the look on her face that this was the wrong course of action.  
“Mr. Malfoy, is it wrong of me to presume that you are heavily intoxicated at this moment?” Her stern gaze rested on his bloodied hair and her face softened a bit.  
“Well, erm, that depends i suppose on whether i’ll have to snog a dementor for it.” He paused and hiccoughed and held back his roiling stomach. “And may i say, dear headmistress, that you look just stunning tonight. Radiant in fact!” He tried to give his best ‘how charming and sweet i am’ smile, but by her expression he assumed it looked more like a ‘pissed out of this universe’ grimace.  
Her eyes drooped and she began to frown, but it wasn’t so pinched and angry as before. She knelt down next to him and took her wand out to heal his forehead.  
“Draco, have you been attending the required 8th year therapy sessions lately? I’ve heard from the healers that they’ve missed you for quite a while.” She helped him sit up a bit straighter and rested in front of him on her knees.  
This was the exact subject he had been trying so hard to avoid, and he’d been doing a pretty good job of it if his contraband whiskey had anything to say. He avoided her intense gaze and focused on the bit of skin he had been picking on his hand since he had gotten out of Azkaban.  
“I’m all good ma’am, honestly i don't quite need those sessions. Besides, it’s kind of weird to hear everyone talk about their dead relatives and then stare at me like i’m why it all happened.” He could tell he was rambling now, so he quickly shut his mouth.  
“Mr. Malfoy, i understand you aren’t handling your situation very well, but i need to remind you that this behavior is unacceptable for more reasons than simply breaking school rules. I’m going to let you off with five points from the 8th years and a warning that you are required to attend group therapy. I’ll help you back to the dorms but if i see this again i wont be so forgiving.” She stood up and grasped his elbow in her oddly strong grip.  
“Thank you headmistress, sorry for being an arse.” He graced her with a small smile and did his best not to fall over as they made their way back to the dorms.  
She spoke the password and helped him through the entrance. Since it was nearly 1 in the morning, they were both surprised to see that anyone was awake.  
Harry Potter was sitting on the common room couch, looking like the essay he was writing was perhaps the most difficult thing he’d ever faced (all Dark Lords and Death Eaters included). He looked up as the door opened and his sleepy eyes lit up with shock.  
“Ah, Mr. Potter, if you would be so kind as to help Mr. Malfoy here up to his bedroom. I do believe the rooms are warded against all women, including myself.” She smiled tightly at harry as he stood up from the couch.  
“Oh, yeah of course Headmistress. Is everything alright?” He took hesitant steps over to the both of them and grasped the elbow she handed over to him.  
“Yes Mr. Potter, though i believe i will be giving a short speech at breakfast about the importance of asking for help and to dissuade students from participating in self medicating.” Harry, having apparently understood what was being said, simply nodded and glanced at Malfoy who was now putting all his energy in standing and not spilling his bottle of half digested whiskey on the poor Headmistresses lovely shoes.  
“I’ll get him sorted ma’am.” Harry nodded and draped Malfoy’s arm about his shoulders.  
“Buy me dinner first Potter, no chivalry these days i swear…” Malfoy’s head lolled to the side and knocked against Harry’s, and his voice sounded scratchy and half asleep already.  
McGonagall blushed a tad and purposefully looked around the common room before clearing her throat.  
“Well thank you for your generosity Mr. Potter, five points to the 8th years for helping a classmate in need, now goodnight to you both. Oh and do get some sleep Potter.” She left the room with a swirl of her robes and a clack of heels, leaving Harry Potter and a very drunk Draco Malfoy alone.  
“Alright Malfoy let’s get you up to bed before you sick up on me.” Which was seeming more and more like a very real possibility.  
“Taking me to bed Potter? What a gentleman, though I must warn you i’m not normally that type of girl.” Malfoy did his best to wink suggestively, but it really ended up looking more like an aggressive blink. They were climbing the stairs now, and Harry was having a bit more difficulty hoisting Malfoy with his legs stumbling all about them. He eventually got fed up with the trouble of it all, and crouched down to scoop Malfoys legs out from under him.  
“Good Lord Potter, what on earth are you doing?” Harry was now carrying him princess style, as though they were newlyweds coming home for the first time.  
“This is easier, you’re too bloody smashed to even stand properly.” It was infinitely easier for Harry even though Malfoy was a good couple inches taller, Harry had toned up quite a bit between fighting a massive battle and having practically nothing to do all summer.  
“Since when do you… I don’t remember you being so strong.” Malfoy had draped his arms over Harry’s shoulders and his head was tilted into the crook of Harrys neck, which was proving to be quite an issue because everytime he spoke there was a small puff of hot breath on Harrys pulse.  
Harry rolled his eyes, “Not really sure if i’m meant to take that as a compliment or not.” But Malfoy stayed silent the rest of the way to his dorm room. Harry was glad Malfoy had chosen a private room, he didn’t fancy a run in with any of the other 8th year Slytherins.  
He set Malfoy down on top of his large green comforter and pulled the smaller blanket up over him. He went to take off Malfoy’s shoes as a courtesy, but-  
“Malfoy have you been wandering about the castle wearing one singular muggle princess sock?” It was bright pink, way too small, and had multiple copies of one of those cartoon princesses little muggle children loved. This was clearly the funniest thing that stupid drunk bastard had ever heard, his eyes flew open and he laughed so loudly that Harry could hear someone yell “shut it!” a couple rooms over. Malfoy quieted a bit but was still shaking with laughter.  
“Pansy- oh good lord hold on,” He kept laughing and couldn’t get the thought out.  
“Pansy, she gave them to me the day i came back, she said ‘it is time to begin your muggle loving initiation!’ and so we spent almost three days watching muggle cartoons and various horrible movies.” He was still chuckling a bit but now his brow creased and he took on the expression of a drunk man who was overly concerned about something stupid.  
“Gracious is there really only one though? I’ll have to find the other one tomorrow or she’ll gut me like her first husband.” Harry hoped the fucker would fall asleep soon, he had no clue what to say to half the shit Malfoy was telling him about. Luckily it seemed Malfoy didn’t care much if Harry responded at all.  
“Are you gonna be alright Malfoy? I don’t know if McGonagall wanted me to make sure you didn’t choke on your own vomit.” Harry didn’t know CPR or anything about taking care of drunk people, and he felt thoroughly unprepared for this task.  
“Oh please Potter, i’ve been getting pissed worse than this since fifth year, go on to your little gryffindor boyfriend now.” Malfoy was rapidly falling further into slumber, mumbling something about ‘not exactly little but…’ and turning onto his side.  
“Right, don’t die then i suppose.” This had to be the weirdest night Harry had experienced in a while, but he praised himself for handling it so well. Malfoy was definitely out cold by now, not quite snoring but more just letting out a puff of breath on the exhale. He looked peaceful, which is not something Harry had ever thought about this particular bastard.  
He walked backwards to the door, trying to keep the floorboards from creaking. He turned around and slowly pulled the door open, it squeaked just the smallest bit, but it was still enough to make Malfoy shift about in bed.  
As Harry left the room quietly, he heard a soft “Thank you, Potter…” from a still very asleep Malfoy. He smiled to himself, “Night Malfoy.”  
He made his way back up to his own dorm that he shared with Ron. He had been offered a private room, but Ron was his best friend and neither of them really wanted to be alone at night. Though it was a little awkward when Hermione was able to sneak in, but Harry knew when he was meant to make himself scarce. Which had been why he was on the couch so late tonight, but he figured they’d be asleep by now.  
He nudged the door open and cast a soft lumos, Rons curtains were open, but both of them had (at least) shirts on for Harry’s sake. He was so glad they had each other like this, the war hadn’t left any of them unscathed, but as time went on Ron and Hermione clung to each other less, clutched their wands less, and didn’t duck when they heard latin. They had been attending those 8th year therapy sessions, (Ron only for Hermione’s sake) and it genuinely had helped them both. Harry knew they wanted him to attend too, but he wasn’t ready to share everything he thought about to a stranger or a room of his peers.  
He toed off his trainers and slipped his button up off his shoulders. Generally he slept in his pants but Hermione had been so embarrassed the first time he had done that, so he wore t shirts when she was over for the night. He had just sank down onto the bed when Ron stirred, “Oh mate, why’re you back so late?” He was mostly still asleep, throat raw and eyes crusted over.  
Harry smiled fondly at him and kept his voice at a whisper. “Mate, you’re never gonna believe where i w-” He stopped short when an absolutely thunderous snore caught his sentence and snuffed away his words. He laughed softly and slipped under his covers, setting his glasses on the table and his wand under his pillow.  
“I’ll tell you in the morning, good night guys.” He fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in what seemed like forever, thinking about how much his friends meant to him.


End file.
